Chinese New Year of 2014 at Seed Kitchen

--> I am from Japan originally and Japanese people use Chinese calender and follow 12 Chinese animal symbols as much as Nine Star Ki which macrobiotics people study also. My mother and sister mastered Chinese 12 animal symbols and Nine Star Ki so I grown up with them and even add the western astrology when I was in high school. I love all them to bring my self-esteem up and simple guidance for my life.


I usually talk about new year prediction in my new year cooking/lecture class, but this year I asked Eric to make one of my favorite dish – Gyouza/Pot Sticker (which usually has meat, but we make it with shiitake mushroom and cabbage) so we wanted to make these as Special Chinese New Year menu at Seed Kitchen so he made it Gyouza Wonton, Sweet Sour Tempeh Salad and Carrot Cup Cake!
They were so good...I can still taste in my mouth how they were so delicious!!!
Sorry for people who could not make it, but at least the photos for you...


Gyoza Style Wonton Soup


Sweet Sour Chinese Temepeh Salad


Carrot Cup Cake


After we ate I offered that the 2014 year of horse Chinese predication and 2014 view for each person who attended this event.
Here is short version for people who could not come since a couple people have asked.

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Chinese New Year Prediction for 2014

Year of green/wood/tree horse

The horse which is the seventh sign in Chinese astrology is a symbol of nobility, fame, elegance, grit (courage and resolve; strength of character), endurance, vitality. True spirit and determination.

Known as the year for leaders, 2014 is set for those who want to make a difference and know how to make it happen.

This is the year of forward thinking, strategic planning and long term investment.

People who cater for alternative medicine will have an increase of demand for their services and more people will crave for more peaceful existence. This will be the year where people will get together to help and give support to each other.

 

Rat:

·  Lucky Colors: green, red, purple

·  Lucky Numbers: 2, 7

All the work you did in 2013 with your work and social life can be pay off although there are still ups and down. You may see yourself become quite the socialite and see a big rise in popularity but please be aware that 2014 will not be the greatest of year for the Rat as they are the conflict animal for the Horse year.

Ox:

·  Lucky Colors: blue, yellow, green

·  Lucky Numbers: 1, 4

If you are Ox and able to accept change and learn to adapt at the beginning of the year, you will do well in 2014.  You also could see many good opportunities come your way throughout the year. It is an eventful year for the Ox and one where they shall need to learn to adapt and adjust to changes quickly or they could see themselves left behind and missing out on some very good opportunities presented to them.

Tiger:

·  Lucky Colors: blue, grey, white, orange

·  Lucky Numbers: 1, 3, 4

The Tiger can rejoice in the fact that overall, the year of the Horse will be a very fortunate year for them and they will achieve a great deal in 2014. Tigers ending the year of the Snake with problems should not worry as they should be short lived and their luck should change for the better as the year of the Horse sets in. The Horse will need to put some effort in to their actions during the year but they will help them. 

Rabbit:

·  Lucky Colors: red, pink, purple, blue

·  Lucky Numbers: 3, 4, 9 

It will go very well for the Rabbit in Horse year with many good career prospects and exciting times although they may get frustrated at times with the pace of the year as there will be a lot to handle at once for the Rabbit in 2014. One of the highlights of the Rabbits year will be their social life which will be filled with many events and opportunities to meet new people and make some really good connections in the financial world.

Dragon:

·  Lucky Colors: gold, silver, grayish white

·  Lucky Numbers: 1, 6, 7 

The year of the Horse is a year that can be very successful for the Dragon although they will have to be careful and avoid taking too many risks through the year.  There will be some aspects of the Dragons life that will be harder than others but with some determination and perseverance, they should be able to make the year of the Horse a successful and satisfying year when you take care of yourself and family.

Sneak:

·  Lucky Colors: red, pale yellow, black

·  Lucky Numbers: 2, 8, 9 

For the Snake as the fast pace that a Horse year has to offer can sometimes unsettle the pace of the Snake and cause them to feel isolated from everything going on around them; this year may not be the greatest in every aspect but that does not mean that there will not be many successes for the Snake throughout the year of the Horse.

Horse:

·  Lucky Colors: green, red, purple

·  Lucky Numbers: 3, 4, 9

This can be a very memorable year; just make sure that you do not take others good nature for granted this year as there is a risk of problems caused by people helping the Horse and getting it thrown back in their face.  

Goat:

·  Lucky Colors: green, red, purple

·  Lucky Numbers: 2, 7

Many opportunities for the Goat in 2014 and this will be a year where the Goat has the option to make this either a very satisfying year or also a calm and relaxed one. Career will go smooth for the Goat in the year of the Horse and they should be able to take on a lot more responsibility through using their experience from previous years. The year of the Horse is a good year to set plan In motion by taking on a more authoritative attitude towards your career 

Monkey: 

 ·  Lucky Colors: white, gold, blue

·  Lucky Numbers: 1, 7, 8

The Monkey will want to make the most of the year and there will be many aspects where they are able to thrive in a certain part of their life but there is also risks of overworking themselves in the year of the Horse or deceive themselves in to thinking that they are doing better than they actually are although the Monkey can still do very well In the year of the Horse so do not focus too much on this.  

Rooster:

·  Lucky Colors: gold, brown, yellow

·  Lucky Numbers: 5, 7, 8 

The Roosters amazing organisational skills will help them out a huge amount in the year of the Horse and they will find that they enter the year fully prepared for whatever lays ahead. A great way to get ahead this year would be to write a wish list of what they wish to achieve this year and check back on the list regularly and add to what they would like out of this year. 

Dog:

·  Lucky Colors: green, red, purple

·  Lucky Numbers: 3, 4, 8 

The Dog may find that they have learned a great deal in the last few years and this will be portrayed through their actions in the year of the Horse. 2014 can be a very satisfying and proactive year for the Dog where they can achieve a great deal with many satisfying rewards both emotionally and physically. 

Pig:

·  Lucky Colors: yellow, gray, brown, gold

·  Lucky Numbers: 2, 5, 8

The Pig will do extremely well during the year of the Horse and will have a great deal of great moments and opportunities to develop themselves. The Pig may have not had the best outcome from the year of the Snake but they should find that they are entering 2014 with a great  sense of confidence.

Whatever you do, remember that this is the year of you who have a determination to change your life better to move forward to be happier.
Good luck!
Love,  Sanae

Holiday Auspicious Cleaning for New Year!

Looking back reflecting 2013...
It was a good challenging work year for us and our restaurant Seed Kitchen.

When we work so much we tend not to have time to sort out our stuff (OMG, life is all about stuff!) so Eric and I made commitment to clear some of the stuff during this holiday season.

One of our book shelf was broken so after three years later Eric finally fixed it. Here are the some photos I had worked on the bookshelves with books, magazine and more paper stuff with dogs.
I also found the photos of my childhood and my mom's...so nice to see these photos. I could feel how much my mom loved me.

I feel so good to do this holiday auspicious cleaning!

A Happy Holiday and New Year of 2014!


Eric fixed the broken book shelf after three years.


Our dog, Happy is guarding the stuff with her ball. 


Memory photos of my mom and me.


It was getting late and all the dogs are getting tired of cleaning stuff. 


Many pamphlets and maps from my traveling to Europe, Southeast Asia, Canada, Caribbean, Tahiti, Fiji, Japan and the U.S. Including Hawaii. Alaska)

Rose Hips Jelly as Year-end gift-giving tradition-Oseibo/Christmas gift!

I grown up as a Buddhist, but love Christmas gift-giving because it almost like Year-end gift-giving tradition in Japan to send seasonal gifts called Oseibo at the end of the year.
( also Ochugen in summer)
It's a gift for someone who has done something for you, like a teacher or a boss and other people to show appreciation, but I like Christmas gift-giving because I have a chance to give gifts to family and friends and anybody.

I have started make some gifts myself last five years.
Thinking about what I make every year is fun.
This year I decided to make wild Rose Hips jelly.
Since Eric and I have been harvesting wild rose hips in North Fork, California every Thanksgiving season. 


Eric is harvesting wild rose hips


It is a big bush of rose

I have been making Rose hip tea to enjoying it and offer at Seed Kitchen to purchase it.


Wild rose hips tea


One day I heard about rose hip jelly and jam so I got so curious and was wanting to make them last few years, but it take more rose hip to harvest to make it and challenging was takes time to make it.
Finally,  I was able to make time to make it successfully since we were able to harvest about 10 lbs wild rose hips.

10 lbs wild rose hips

Of course it had to be vegan macrobiotic rose hips jelly for me so I have created a recipes and came out very delicious. 
I love the taste of this jelly...mild sweetness and sourness make you feel so pleasantly balance  and when I taste it I sure feel the nature's kindness. 

I am very happy to be able to give this special seasonal gift as a Christmas gift this year to some of my friends.
I thank you so much for many people who are supporting me and what Eric and I do for Seed Kitchen. This is a token of appreciation!
People who are not able to taste my wild rose hips jelly I want to send you this recipes (the last part of this page) and photos to you to enjoy it and try it out for you to make it. Make sure let me know how it come out when you make it.


1. Wash wild rose hips


2. Cut all the steams


3. Start cook with water


4. Bring to boil


5. Cover and simmer for 1 ~ 3 hour


6. Mash them with a potato masher till puree


7. Strain them with fine mesh strainer

 
8. Put the all the liquid from strainer back into a pot



9. Add agar

 
10. Add  kuzu and



11. Add brown rice syrup


12. Put into a canning jar


13. Made sticker for special friends who will enjoy this special jelly


Pan fried Mochi


Pan fried Mochi and Wild Rose Hips Jelly



By the way, I spent so much time to making this wild rose hips jelly and I did not have much time to pick a gift for Eric this year and I think Eric was working so much time and he did not have much time to pick a gift for me either so... we did not know, but we gave each other the exact the same gift which was a massage gift certificate to each other LOL...we laugh so much!!!


Massage certificates as a Christmas gift for each other!

Rosehip Jelly Recipe for you

Ingredients

• 1 quarts rose hips (4 cups)
• 1 1/2 quarts water (5 cups)
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tea spoon agar
• 1 TBS kuzu
• 2 TBS brown rice syrup

about 3 cups liquid at the end.

• 6 8-ounce sterilized canning jars and fresh lids

Happy year end of 2013, have a good one everyone!

Love, Eric Revised Desserts Cookbook

 

Love, Eric Delicious Vegan Macrobiotic Dessert Cookbook was originally published in 2005.
Author Eric Lechasseur is not a pastry chef, but then why desserts cookbook?
To make a long story a short....
well his fist cooking was with his grandmother making cookies when he was six years old and of course he loves sweets all his life. Then he met me who was a sugar junky and loved too much sugary desserts and soda anything sugary stuff in 1991.

I was diagnosed an ovarian cancer in 1993 so he started to make desserts without dairy, eggs and refined sugar which was delicious and satisfied for me to not have to eat sugary stuff any more.
After I recovered from the cancer in 1995 Eric continued to make delicious healthy vegan macrobiotic desserts and one day he came home and told me that he wants to make delicious healthy desserts and pastry cookbook.
He also got a job at M cafe as a pastry chef and he created all the original M cafe's desserts and pastry desserts recipes which are very popular even after Eric left M cafe.

Eric and I wanted to make a very special cookbook with beautiful photographs so people can also enjoy this recipes with their eyes.
We believed that sharing what he contribute himself from these recipes to help me over come sugar junky addiction will also help so many people so we title it "Love, Eric"
We picked the size of the book and paper and title they were all so personal matter so we choose to self published this special cookbook.
We have made 5000 copies to sell and they were all sold out by 2009.
We could not believe there was a time some people were selling used Love, Eric cookbook for $200 per a copy.   We are very happy that there was such a demand on this cookbook.
It took a while, but we are proud to be re-published once again Love, Eric as revised with eight more gluten-free recipe.

Madonna's Panna Cotta new recipe from Love, Eric Revised
 
Last Sat. we had a cozy gathering for Love, Eric Revised book signing at Seed Kithchen. We had great time and enjoyed so much.
We are definitely growing globally and shipping our cookbook to all over the world now so we just sent it to Spain, UK, and Holland and of ourse many different states of America.


Pistachio Nougatine Brittle new recipe from Love, Eric Revised for tasting


If you are interested to purchase Love, Eric Revised

Amazon.com
Square Market
 

Or just email us to seedkitchen@gmail.com 

For those of you who are in the US, $29.95 + $10.00 *Shipping & Handling* = $39.95

Simply email us and let us know that you are sending your check and mail your check to the Mugen LLC address below and include the name you'd like if you want to have autographed on the book.

Mugen LLC

2610A 23rd St.

Santa Monica, CA 90405

 

For those of you located outside of the United States, or wishing to pay with credit card/Paypal, you can purchase a copy of the book by sending email to us to seedkithchen@gmail.com 

Let us know your post mail address so we know how much to charge the shipping.

Usually outside the United State is $29.95 + $20.00 *Shipping & Handling* = $49.95

 *if you want autograph copy, please be sure to include a note to request autograph when purchasing , so we make sure to autograph your book*

Baked donuts new recipe from Love, Eric Revised

 

 

 

 

 

Macrobiotic Medicinal Remedy Drink Class for Thyroid Problems

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Hi everyone, 

My name is Sanae Suzuki. 

I am a whole health macrobiotic nutrition counselor for people and pets.

I have been teaching macrobiotics cooking and lifestyle for almost 20 years after I healed myself from ovarian cancer by practicing and live macrobiotics. You can see all the classes info. and what I offered 193 classes/events last 5 years at Meetup  I am so thankful to my health, my macrobiotics practice and all of you!

At Macrobiotic Healing for Women's class

It was one of my dreams to teach for healing class for women for a long time and this year I was able to start it at Seed Kitchen this year almost every month. 

It has been a really great opportunity to practice and teaching this class. 

The last month I was planing to teach class for Thyroid problems and many people who could not come to the class have requested me to post this on my blog so here is one for everyone. I hope this help many people and I hope to practice and teach my macrobiotics many more years.

These are the things I shared in the class:

When I read an article that it's estimated that as many as 59 million Americans have a thyroid problem. I questioned myself “Do most of us know about it?”. I had time to time people who have had a thyroid cancer and a problem came for macrobiotic counseling to me. The macrobiotic approach of diet and life style definitely helped and healed them when they followed directions. I, myself had to followed the direction to help heal my two dogs who had thyroid problems. 

Some of you might wonder that a dog and a human have the same problems and results? Yes, I have seen so many symptoms with human also over dogs. I have researched more when I needed to help my two dogs from their thyroid problems and applied to them and sure worked so much and they are both doing good. They are not taking any western meditation anymore. You can also get benefit from macrobiotic approach for thyroid problems.

The first, you need to know your thyroid grand. It is an important organ just like heart and stomach and others, but the majority of us don't know it yet. It is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck a small gland found at the base of your neck just above your collarbone, just below your Adam's apple. I think it should move like butterfly and be flexible so the thyroid hormones control your body activities and metablism like your body temperature and how fast you burn calories and how fast your heart beats.

1. The example signs of Thyroid problems

Since undiagnosed thyroid problems can dramatically increase your risk of obesity, heart disease, depression, anxiety, hair loss, sexual dysfunction, infertility and a host of other symptoms and health problems, it's important that you don't go undiagnosed.

You don't need to have all of these symptoms in order to have a thyroid problem, but here are some of the most common signs that you may have a thyroid condition: 

1) Fatigue.

2) Weight Changes.

3) Depression and Anxiety.

4) Cholesterol Issues

5) Bowel Problems.

6) Menstrual Irregularities and Fertility Problems.

7) Hair/Skin Changes.

8) Neck Discomfort/Enlargement.

9) Muscle and Joint Pains, Carpal Tunnel/Tendonitis Problems

3. Two major problems of Thyroid:

Hyperthyroidism

Hypothyroidism

4 Macrobiotic Medicinal Remedy Drink for Thyroid:

The modern diet of meat and other processed foods can cause the thyroid to malfunction.

Modern diets low in iodine and other trace of minerals found in whole grains, vegetables from land and sea, and other fresh foods are primary cause. Doctors can give a western medication but it doesn’t address the source of the problem.

This drink is can help to detox your body’s condition and support for hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism both.

1/4 cup each vegetables of carrot, burdock, daikon, lotus root

1 cup daikon greens or other hard leafy greens

1/4 cup komubu, soaked chopped small

4 cups water

1. Finely chop all the vegetables and soaked kombu.

2. Put all the ingredients and add water to bring a boil in a covered pot.

3. Lower the flame, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Add a pinch of sea salt or 3~4 drops of tamari or ¼ umeboshi plum at the end of cooking.

5. Drink and eat 1 cup while it is warm/hot.

6. You can drink and eat everyday, 1 cup, for 10~14 days. Then every other day for an equal period.

If you have concern it is important to have a macrobiotic counseling for more advise. 

Ingredients of vegetables before prepping the medicinal remedy drink for thyroid

All the ingredients ready to make the medicinal remedy drink for thyroid

Simmering the medicinal remedy drink for thyroid

The medicinal remedy drink for thyroid

5. Macrobiotic food and life style recommendations for Thyroid problems

1) Example of what to eat more 

·  Vitamin A rich foods (carrot. butternut squash, dark leafy greens, sweet potato, dried apricots etc.)   

·  Omega-3 Fats (sea vegetables, fax Seeds, chia Seeds, hemp seeds, mung beans, winter squash, leafy greens, berries, etc.)

·  Miso/ Miso soup *

·  Soy sauce/ Natto fermented soy beans products *

·  Umeboshi plums *

·  Sea vegetables/Iodine* (including kombu, kelp, dulse, nori, wakame, arame etc.)

The best to getting from the sea vegetables directly, but if you are not used them you can take

       sea vegetables/seaweed tablet as a supplement till you get used to eat them.

       *too much iodine can actually trigger thyroid problems and worsen symptoms, so it’s   

        important to have a healthy balance.

·  Saltwater fish (2~4 oz 1~3 weeks only with grated daikon and lemon juice if you want to eat fish)

*** To find good recipes for Miso, Natto fermented soy beans and umeboshi plums you can check vegan macrobiotic healing cookbook "Love, Sanae"

 

2) Example of what to avoid:

·  Any meat and dairy food.

·  Refined processed food. 

·  Cauliflower (Any vegetable that falls into the broccoli family is a goitrogen and shouldn’t be eaten more than twice a week if you have hypothyroidism and raw if you have hyperthyroid.)

·  Millet   

·  Pine nuts/Peanuts

·  Unfermented soy

·  Canola oil      
·  Iodized salt  (iodized salt is heavily processed so recommend avoiding)  



With all the participants

3) Example of Life style:

1)     Make your medicinal drink yourself and cook your healing food at home.

2)     Go to bed early and rise early.

3)     Be active mentally and physically.

4)     Everyday do light exercise or take a walk outside for a half hour.

5)     Massage yourself thyroid ground area to stimulate for 5 minutes every day and also receive Shiatsu massage.

6)     Until the condition improve, you may take a small amount of food 4~5 times a day instead of 2~3 times a day, but have it at regular times.

7)     Avoid artificial environments, including exposure to high-voltage lines, excess air- conditioning, stagnate sir, dampness or high humidity and chemicals (including cosmetics and other body products). No fluoresces light. No X-ray (including at the airport also)

8)     Keep your living area clean and in good order.

9)     Avoid stressful human relations.

10)   Try to keep in touch with nature and live simply.

11)   Use organic cotton for underwear. Bed sheets, pillowcases, and comforter cover.

12)   Try to avoid using TV, computers, microwaves, fluorescent lamps, and other devise and equipment that emit strong electromagnetic filed.

13)   Tell yourself you are better and no more thyroid problem and sign happy song everyday.

Be healthy and be happy!

Love, Sanae

❤ Next Macrobiotic Healing for Women class is Dec. 15. Sat. at 10am. If you want to register, please click Meetup.